Annual Conference

The Grinspoon Institute offers an annual conference for all of its participating organizations. The conference offers keynote sessions, workshops on fundraising, strategic planning, governance, and technology, and opportunities for networking among the attendees. Workshop materials and video from past conferences can be found in our Knowledge Center.

2011 Conference

We who have committed our professional and volunteer lives to Jewish camp are enjoying a remarkable moment in our field. Jewish camps are forging new ties to enthusiastic alumni, developing high performance governing boards, and inspiring new levels of philanthropic investment from people who value our essential role in securing the future wellbeing of the Jewish people. At The Grinspoon Institute's Annual Conference - Leaders in the Field - we will commend and share the work that has earned us this remarkable moment. And we will explore the implications and obligations of our success in charting the future of Jewish camp and the current and future leaders in the field. The Conference will be held on Sunday, November 13 and Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel.

Conference Keynote Address

Larry Moses, former President of The Wexner Foundation, opened the Conference with a keynote address. Many of you know Larry for his extraordinary leadership development work in many Jewish communal settings. His remarks launched a full conference schedule that enabled each of us to learn from one another's leadership experiences and to multiply the impact of our efforts.

Larry Moses with Harold Grinspoon

2011 Grinspoon Awards

Four "Leaders in the Field" of Jewish Camp were honored with 2nd Annual Grinspoon Awards at the 2011 Grinspoon Institute Annual Conference. Among many deserving nominees, these four honorees stood out for their impact on the ongoing sustainability and vitality of Jewish summer camp. This year's awards were accompanied by $2,500 donations in the honoree's name to their camp, thanks to a generous donation from the Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Foundation.

Congratulations to all of our winners!

Harold Grinspoon with Irving Potter (Outstanding Board Leadership Award) and Alan Franco (Outstanding Philanthropist Award)

Peer-led Mini Sessions

For the first time, a dedicated portion of the conference was dedicated to "Leaders in the Field" of Jewish Camp sharing their successes with their peers. You can find dozens of shared resources from these sessions in our Knowledge Center. Click on Sessions C and D to find Peer-led Mini Session materials.

Honoring Camp Legacy Initiative Success

15 camps met their Camp Legacy Initiative goals early and were awarded their Legacy Initiative Bonus checks at the conference. Nine of these 15 camps are in their first year of the program. Additional camps still have time to reach their goals through the end of the year.

Since 2008, the Camp Legacy Initiative has resulted in 42 participating camps receiving 2,067 Legacy pledges, totaling an estimated $53.9M. Congratulations to all the camps participating in the Camp Legacy Initiative.

Harold Grinspoon celebrates success with representatives from Camp Legacy Initiative teams.